"Sitha!—this'll be a fight to a finish atween the Old Order and the New—atween what you stand for and what A do."
"And what do I stand for?" asked the Colonel.
"Imperialism—Capitalism—call it what you will. It's the domination of the workers by brute force."
The Colonel turned a quiet eye upon him.
"Is that fair?" he asked.
The engineer stuffed his pipe back into his mouth.
"Happen not of you. Of your class, yes." He felt he had been on dangerous ground and came off it. "We shall fight because we must," he said. "What about you?"
He was making a direct offensive now, and turned full face to his adversary.
"Us?" asked the Colonel puzzled.
"Yes," retorted the other. "The officers of the Army?—shall you fight?"